When talking about internet browsers in general, the name Firefox stands out as a major competitor to Google Chrome. Both browsers dominate the browsing software for computer systems. However, when it comes to smartphones, the situation is different. Firefox is considered far behind in the competition in the smartphone field, prompting Mozilla to completely restructure the browser through a new project that started with some experimental versions. These versions featured some new features in terms of user interface, performance, and browsing speed. The latest version, numbered 3, has been released, announcing future support for add-ons, just like computer browsers. In this article, we will shed light on this feature and how to activate it.
As mentioned earlier, the browser is still in experimental versions, but it can be easily downloaded from the Android app store. It has been added under the name “Firefox Preview”. The initial version has support for add-on installation, which can be downloaded from this link.
Read: Microsoft officially starts updates for “Edge Chromium” for smartphones
After installing the browser, you will notice a significant change in the main interface. It features a more elegant interface and moves the address bar to the bottom of the screen, unlike most browsers. It also supports dark mode and includes the “Collections” feature and the ability to block tracking on websites, similar to computer versions. You can access the tracking prevention settings through the icon next to the address bar.
Add-on Support
The main feature of this update is add-on support. You can do this by clicking on the three dots icon next to the address bar, then clicking on “Settings”, going to the “Advanced” section at the bottom of the screen, and clicking on the “Add-ons” option. Since the version is still in beta, you will only find one add-on currently, which is the popular “uBlock” ad blocker that can be easily installed with a click.
Although no add-ons are available yet, this is an important step from Mozilla indicating greater add-on support in future releases. Firefox will be the first smartphone browser to officially support add-on installation from within the browser, and the add-on store may also be supported for more options.
